patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

So I leave the house to go get some dinner. Figured I'd go to a Sonic and get something to eat. I'm just wearing a t-shirt, pajamas, and flip flops. As I'm leaving, the thought crosses my mind: "What if the car were to break down. I don't have any tools in the car to work on it and I'd freeze my *** off". Of course I ALWAYS carry a tool box full of tools with, DMM, nut/bolt assortment, nice assortment of wiring stuff, and a bunch of other ****. Just in case. But I recently cleaned the car out and had removed all these items and had not put them back in. I dismiss this thought as I'm not Jewish and leave home without them.

Mile from home I'm cruising in 4th gear and it dies. Just goes off. I coast into a Walgreen's parking lot. Try to restart it and it won't hit a lick. It seems to have compression, but it's not even trying to start. I'm in disbelief right now. I'm broke down in a dark parking lot with nothing but a flashlight. I check everything and nothing seems wrong. Fuses good, all wiring looks good. I smell the exhaust after spinning it a while and I can't smell fuel. EDIS must not be telling MS the motor is turning. I swap out ignition modules to no avail. The VR-sensor is brand new, so that couldn't be the problem. I check the plug and the VR sensor is plugged in good. Even though I have a spare VR sensor, I don't have the needed tools to change it.

I call a friend and he shows up with tools. He takes me to the house and I get my laptop. Go back to Walgreen's and find that, no surprise, no RPM reading in megatune. So it pretty much has to be the VR sensor. We break out the tools and remove my ghetto *** bracket I built that holds the sensor. Get it unbolted and, low and behold, one of the wires that goes into the plug broke. Just broke. Didn't break where it's crimped. Just randomly broke ~ 1/8" from where it goes into the plug. As we're looking at this, the other breaks. Almost as if god himself just reached down with an invisible pair of dikes and cut the other wire right before my eyes. And I'm really not Jewish.

We try to get the pins to come out of the plug. Figured if I could get them out, I could crimp new wire to them. If nothing else. I could solder new wire to them. No go. Plug wasn't designed to be taken apart apparently. We mutilate/mostly destroy the plug trying to get the pins out. Finally I start cutting the back of the plug off to get access to the pins. Still can't get to them really. I can see them, but I need to remove these pins to crimp new wires to them.

In desperation, I get some 14 gauge wire, strip about 5/16", and jam it into the plug, forcing it against the pins. Then we go to autozone and buy some 60 second plastic epoxy. Get back, jam the wires in, glue them in. Then reassembled the **** and it cranked right up.

Anyways thank god I decided to leave tonight to get some food. Cause had I not, I wouldn't have left home again until tomorrow to go to school to take my final exams. As much as this sucked freezing my *** off gluing **** together to make my car run in a dark parking lot, it would have been a lot worse if this happened 20 minutes before my DE exam tomorrow.

mazda/nissan

iTrader: (2)

my exams are next week. I hate trying to get into electronic devices that "look" like this thing should just snap off then presto your in. Any clue as to why the wires broke?

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

I have no idea. They weren't bent, they weren't in tension. They appeared to be in great shape when I wired it up this summer. It's unexplainable. The second one breaking right then just baffles me. It's like we're just looking at the broken one, not even touching this thing, and the other breaks. Weird...

18psi

iTrader: (76)

wow talk about random

bryantaylor

iTrader: (5)

i havent carried tools in my cars in years. just a AAA card and a pistol, lol

18psi

iTrader: (76)

same here. hell I dont even have the jack/spare in there because the idiot I bought the car from lost them. but then I never go anywhere far or in a hurry, so I could care less.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

Yeah, I always carry tools. This is just what happens if for once, I don't. Hell, when I ran a 9.38 in the 1/8 mile on the nitrous I had my tool box and everything else I normally carry in the trunk.

RotorNutFD3S

iTrader: (33)

You stay away from my car. Bad joojoo. lol

bryantaylor

iTrader: (5)

i dont trust the spare enough to drive on anyway.

fmowry

iTrader: (8)

So the moral of the story is you go out like white trash in flipflops, pjs, and a tee? Maybe I missed the rest of the story in the rambling?

Frank

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Vashthestampede

iTrader: (17)

Ditto to that Pat. I keep a toolbox with wrenches, sockets, tie wires, electrical tools, spare nuts and bolts, etc. I've had alot of random **** outs in the miata over the years.....but never once had to call for a tow.

Vash-

hustler

iTrader: (6)

after you own vw's, you learn to not only carry tools, but in the miata I always carry:
spare relays for each electrical component, belts, 1-gallon of water, 1quart of oil, 1-quart of gear oil, brake fluid, timing light, brake bleeder, extra brake pads, electrical tape and primary wire, multimeter...and hope.

I never leave the house without all of these things. All 3-of my cars have tons of miles, so I expect them to break, especially the green turbo miata, considering I've most likely ruined reliability by ******* with it. I've been stranded over 15-times, without a doubt...sometimes I don't know why I had to **** with a perfectly reliable car.

Toddcod

iTrader: (8)

So does the 1.6L have this vr sensor? My ms was losing rpm readings.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

No.

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

****... As always; I'm left to ask the dumb question: Pat what is the VR sensor?

I ask because I've had an intermittent issue with my car dying for a few seconds sometimes and restarting again almost immediately.

patsmx5

iTrader: (16)

I'm running an EDIS 4 ignitions system. It's a common system to run when using MS2 as It takes, ground and +12V to turn it on, and only 2 wires hook to MS and it works. Very very simple. I had to fabricate a hub to mount a 36-1 trigger wheel to. This is bolted to the crankshaft and a ford VR-sensor is mounted to a custom bracket I built that reads the wheel.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

dawd dammit....everyone and their mother is going with ms and I am left behind like a dumbass

Rafa

iTrader: (22)

Thanks.

cueball1

iTrader: (13)

Freaky haunted car.

In the early 80's I had a 74 Capri. Stop to get gas. I get out and walk toward the station and the car starts. I look. The attendant looks. I walk back and it shuts off. We both shrug. Walk away it starts again. Now the starter keeps engaging while it's running. Run back to the car and pop the hood. Lights are coming on, wipers, all sorts of crap shorting out and trying to work. Major shorts in the harness. When the harness catches fire the attendants and I are pushing it away from the pumps. 20 minutes with crimpers and wire and it was good to go.